


Welcome To Devildom

by VioletOnigirl



Series: One Master To Love them All [1]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: MC has a tattoo, MC is a part time nudist, Multi, ObeyMax
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:54:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25045699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletOnigirl/pseuds/VioletOnigirl
Summary: My take on the main story. Side stories to follow. I tried to be as gender neutral as possible but the occasional pronoun happens when I type too fast. Same with using a name as a place holder. Fair warning that these get a little long and I do use in game dialog. I have been working on these for a couple months but maybe slow to update. I am going to try to bust most of this out for ObeyMAX. Earth Angel out...
Series: One Master To Love them All [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813897
Kudos: 13





	1. Welcome to Hell

The last 10 hours were beyond bizarre and all you want is a bath, some food you recognize, and an hour to yourself. You had rather hated high school and college really hadn't been much better. Having to go through it again while worrying about being literally eaten alive? Yeah, you were in hell. Tomorrow you start your first real day at RAD. Today had been about arrival (still betting on a coma dream) and orientation. You try to sort through everything that has happened as Mammon leads you back to your room. 

You met seven mind bogglingly hot demons and you had to live with the six(seven?) brothers in their dorm. You had met all but the youngest due to his being your analogue for this experiment.  You had never really understood religion, never connected with it. You were spiritual at best, since none of the dogma in any religion made much sense. Frankly, except for two specific instances, you had never really felt the 'regard of the Almighty' as one Auntie called it. Once in an ancient and crumbling cathedral in Europe and whenever you performed there had been a feeling of connection. Not that you really did that any more other than by yourself. Now you felt ...something else. Now you were smack in the middle of some Supernatural/otome crossover. There were even gonna be angels.

"Hey, human....OI!!"

You feel a hand clamp down on your shoulder. You jump and clutch at the front of your uniform. So lost in thought that you had nearly kept walking past the white haired second born. Yeah, a bath and maybe try to get a grip.

"Sorry. Still processing all of...", you wave a hand vaguely. "This." You shake your head and sigh. You still had no idea how your obviously rattled brain had come up with all of them. Especially him. He was just so many of the things you disliked. At least on the surface.

"I can understand that. Ya didn't exactly plan this trip yourself. Just stay here til dinner." One cinnamon colored hand scrubs at the back of his neck. Sapphire eyes flick to yours and away again. "I- I got stuff to do but I'll come get ya later. If I let the human starve Lucifer will string me up again. N-not that I'm scared of the old man."

"Yeah, ok. Not like I have much idea of anywhere to go any how. I should see what I do have here after all." You turn to open the door and then turn back. "Thanks by the way. I know you aren't really given much of a choice about dealing with me but... Well, frankly you haven't been as much of a dick as you could have. So, thanks for that. Even if you did use me as a sacrificial distraction. See you in a bit, Mammon."

You close the door behind you. In the hall there stands an ancient and powerful demon making guppy faces at the door. This human was tying him in knots. They hadn't been even slightly intimidated by THE Mammon. 'Thanks for not being a dick'? What the hell?! 

Your room was easily the size of a one bedroom apartment. En suite bathroom for privacy, although Asmodeus' description had you pretty tempted to go check out the communal bath later. You drop the satchel his Royal Hotness had given you for your class materials, at the foot of the bed. With a groan you peel off the fitted jacket and pull loose the neck tie.  It was a gorgeous little space. Very dark enchanted forest. There was even a tree at the head of your bed, its boughs covered in tiny lights. One of the shoes you kicked off thumped against something by the bed making it clatter.

"What on earth?" You bend down and pull a covered basket toward you. You hear glass on glass and other odd sounds coming from under the cheery floral fabric. An elegant little note was pinned to one side.  _Just a little something to help you feel welcome, darling. Let me know if there is anything else you need. Sweet dreams... Hopefully of me. A_ 💋

Wow, that was some confidence on that man. Not that it was unwarranted, quite the contrary. All of the 'brothers' were panty droppers but Asmodeus was almost on even another level all his own. Hair like antique rose gold silk, tropic sunset eyes, delicate features that were still undeniably masculine and a sweet lilting voice. You shiver just thinking about holding that consuming gaze earlier in the Council room.  There could be more to him than a self absorbed, bed hopping, party boy though. The basket was actually really sweet. You pick it up and start to go through it. Hair products just like you had at home but then there were some other items that had to be local. Like the blood orange fang polish and Nefret's Secret Weapon face wash (now with pumice stone!).

How on earth did he get exactly your products? No, you probably didn't want to know. You were just going to be grateful for a little normal. Maybe you would try that fire lotus blossom bubble bath later. You take the basket into the bathroom then head for the wardrobe.  So dang fancy. Standing wardrobe, dresser with lighted mirror back, dining table for 8, and that gorgeous bed covered in pillows. All different sizes and softness, you had fondled all of them earlier because you could. Thinking fondly of diving into their plush embrace after dinner you pop open the wardrobe. 

Five more uniform jackets, your favorite hooded sweater, slacks in black and midnight blue, skirts the same deal, and a rainbow of button downs and ties. Well, at least you didn't need to worry about school gear at all. Now to look for basics and casual wear. Hello, dresser.  Yep, just like before your size basic tees, jeans, under things...and in all the colors again. What was the deal with that? Black, white, blue, yellow, orange, green, pink, red, and purple. You shake your head and shove aside a pile of socks. There is a tee and shorts with a cute little curly horn sheep. That would be perfect for lounging around after dinner, since you could not for the life of you sleep in clothes. For now the black tank top trimmed in tiny red stones at the neck and the black jeans will do.  You haul the clothes into the bathroom and take stock at the vanity sink. Tooth brush, floss, yada yada. Ooh, and a bath tray that would fit across the clawfoot tub. You pet one of the thick black towels. More like a bath sheet. This was like some crazy goth Cinderella dream. You draw your bath and settle in

Primped, polished and (if you did say so yourself) glowing from all the nifty little things in your basket you sprawl out on the bed for a minute. The clothes were a little tight but they were new so whatever. You should go over your schedule for tomorrow. Maybe even crack one or two of the text books to get familiar with some of the more esoteric terms. Heaving a sigh you force yourself up to take your bag to the table.

"Hey, hey, hey!  **The** **Mammon** has arrived." You had barely bent over to retrieve the bag when your door burst open. You look over your shoulder. Of course it was him. But what was up with his face? He was wide eyed and slightly...pink? No. No way was he blushing because you were bent over. You didn't have anything these guys hadn't seen before.

You straighten up and turn with one hand on your hip. "Yeah and apparently he hasn't mastered the art of knocking during his last two millennia." You stick your tongue out at him before heading to the table. "Better be careful about that. Might walk into something you don't wanna see. I could be one of those freaky little humans, ya know?"

You pull out the notebook you had been using earlier in the day. There were a few more things you wanted to add. Like that TSL series Leviathan had been gushing over. Was there anything cuter than a guy geeking out over his 'thing'? Wait...cute?! Shit. No. Black mailing little shit. Not that the idea of getting Mammon under your thumb wasn't insanely appealing. Getting the Avatar of Envy to help you maneuver his brother into a pact would have a price, of course.

"I take it dinner is almost ready?" You grab a pen and make a new note on the page you started about Leviathan. If you had to avoid getting eaten and try to get these guys to help you every scrap of info would help. Maybe getting him to help you pick out some Devildom based manga for 'cultural reference'?

"Wha-? Yeah. Food is here. Lucifer let us order from Dante's Pizzeria. Normally we all take turns but since ya just got here he is taking it easy on ya." Did the human get brighter while he was gone? Shit, he might have to keep his shades on. And what was that smell? Mammon felt his mouth all but watering.  He could see the bathroom door was open and the human had wet hair. Musta taken a bath. Damn but that smells good. The demon swallowed back a groan as you bent over again to grab your jacket off the floor. He would have to thank his little brother for picking your clothes. Then again it might be safer not to and just keep that image to himself for later.

"C'mon already. If we don't hurry Beel won't leave anything behind. And if that happens I might just have to eat ya." 

"Got it, oh great and greedy one." You mock bow to the demon and look up through lowered lashes. He was pink again and staring down your shirt. Perv, but that just might make him easy to handle. You figured out back in high school that attraction had a basic formula. If he was blushing from a little neck line gaposis you could manage a strategic 'wardrobe malfunction' to really make him lose his mind.

"Y-yeah! That's right bow down to the Great Mammon. Don't you forget who's in charge here, human." He turns and heads for the door. "Well? Get it movin'!"

Dinner was a boisterous affair, not too different from dress rehearsal nights. Everyone relaxed, flipping each other crap, and the pizza was simply beyond. You remembered to thank Asmo for your basket. Of course this was after he had commented on how "simply succulent" you smelled.  You blushed lightly and tried to wave it off as all his doing. Then you heard a couple soft sounds near you. Beel was sniffing you. Honestly, full out sniffing you like you sniffed out fresh baked cookies as a kid. This simply made you turn as red as a tomato.

"You smell like pastry." You shudder slightly at the low rumble behind you. The Avatar of Gluttony was a bass and damn if you didn't want to put your hand on his chest to see if you could feel it. Another deep breath from him and a softer sound, almost a sigh had you twisting in your seat to look up and up at Beelzebub. "Really, really good pastry."

You swallowed back a gasp at the beautiful color of his eyes and smiled at the ginger giant. "Why thank you, Beelzebub. Sadly, I don't taste like pastry. It is definitely lotion. You only make that mistake once!"

A wide grin spread across his face. Oh, damn. Down girl, that is not on the menu. Yet. He chuckled and pulled out the empty seat next to you. "I've made that mistake more than once. Sometimes it just smells too good. Like Asmo's chapstick.

"Hmph. I am still ticked about that. It was a limited edition summer gloss, not chapstick." The fifth born said the word like it was something dirty, and not the fun kind, which made you giggle. "You had better not eat any more of my products or I will be forced to do something drastic."

"What? Sick your little sorcerer on him? Turn him into a bunny?" Mammon taunted from across the table. "Wouldn't wanna break a nail."

Asmodeus' eyes flashed as he turned on his older brother. "You just keep out of it, scumbag. You still owe me for-" At that point it degenerated into typical sibling bickering. It was almost soothing how normal they all seemed.

You try a couple more pieces of pizza, including some human safe, demon preferred toppings, pointed out to you by Beel. Fried scorpion...who knew? As you are happily listening to the chatter around you, you nearly doze off in your seat when a hand gently strokes your shoulder. You shake off the haze and look up into a pair of dark eyes that almost shimmer like banked coals.

"I think, perhaps, you have had enough excitement for one day. You have a busy day tomorrow. We will take care of cleaning up tonight." Lucifer is gazing down at you, leather clad hand still on your shoulder. On anyone else you would have called the look soft but that seemed wrong for him. "Would you like me to show you to your room? Or do you think you can make it without getting lost?"

You were almost certain that last was meant to be gentle teasing. Lucifer, the morning star, highest among the heavenly host before his fall, was not teasing you. No way. So you smile up at him and decide to press your luck. "I dunno. This place is awfully big and I am such a small human. Something might jump out and gobble me up if I am not under constant watch."

You hear another of those low rumbles like from Beel. "Well, then if you are that worried I could keep you in my room. But then you would have to worry about me gobbling you up." This last was said so quietly you almost thought you imagined it. When you looked up at him you see that bank of coals had been stirred and was throwing sparks of red.

Hoo boy. You should be careful about playing with fire. Hell fire doubly so. Man, but what a way to burn. You giggle and shake your head. "Oh no... That is rather like letting the wolf guard the sheep pen, yes?" You catch the ghost of a smile on those perfect lips before it gets ruined by the fool.

"HEY! Whaddya think ya doin?" The hand leaves your shoulder and you instantly feel the loss of heat. You try to shake off the feeling that something important had just happened. A tan hand is waving in front of your face. "Bed time, human. Let's go. I don't wanna hear any complaints tomorrow about not getting enough sleep. C'mon already."

For all the whining the hand on your bicep is gentle but firm as Mammon pulls you to your feet. Everyone else has left the dinning room to take things into the kitchen. Which is just as well since your klutzy streak takes that moment to reassert itself. Your foot just barely hooks on the chair leg causing you to stumble.  Your nose smooshes into a firm pec, as one hand grabs on to whatever it can. You can smell something spicy and just a little smokey, his cologne. You feel your nails dig into flesh but it seems to have little effect. Until you hear a soft hiss and look up. Mammon has his eyes closed and is biting his lower lip. Oh, right. Masochist. You look away quickly. 

"I'm so sorry. I thought I had gotten past all my klutziness after high school. Guess not." You right yourself and risk looking at the demon. There is something different about his eyes. As if flecks of jade or emerald were reflecting at you from the sapphire depths. You reach out and softly touch the skin next to three perfect crescents that were slowly turning red.

"Are you ok, Mammon?" You keep your eyes down, letting your fingertips brush softly back and forth. You nearly grin when you hear a soft gulp. He tugs away from you quickly.

"F-fine. I'm just fine. It'd take more than those pathetic little things to hurt me. Not even real claws. I am the second most powerful among us, don't ya forget." He turns away and starts for the door. Not before you catch a glimpse of pink on his ears though. "Hurry it up. I got plans."

"I'm coming, Mammon-sama." He nearly tripped over his own feet and the back of his neck was red. Too easy. Maybe going to classes won't be so bad.


	2. One Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fast drop for part two. Like I need to tell most of you what is going to happen. Pfft. Cussing will happen...frequently in this series. It also seems that this series is likely to be mostly fluff. Side Stories will be more blush inducing. Enjoy.

It was that bad. 

The day had started off alright. Breakfast had been a bit haphazard but you had little appetite anyway. Waking up and finding that you were, in fact, still here had brought on a bout of anxiety. You got through the panic and got ready.  After being deposited outside the main building housing the classrooms you paused to dig out your schedule and hastily drawn map. You look up to ask Mammon about lunch only to find you are entirely alone. Well, not entirely.

From above you can hear whispers. you had been hearing them since you set foot on campus with the five. They say you never really leave high school. Now you believe it as you begin to make out what the pair of demons at the top of stairs are saying. So, what if Mammon left you alone? You were not going to be frightened by some two bit thugs. Just before you would have charged up the stairs and past them you hear someone call out to you. 

A handsome, silver haired young man is smiling up at you. "You practically scream, 'Come eat me. I'm scrumptious.' You're the other exchange student, right? " 

Something about this guy rubbed you the wrong way. When he waggled your phone at you the feeling intensified. Dropped it, your perky ass. He must have lifted it from your pocket. Well, at least he gave it back. You look up the stairs. The two demons were gone.

"Are you really human?" You wouldn't put it past a clever demon to try and pull a stunt like that to get closer to you. His eyes widen just a touch before he laughs.

"Sometimes I wonder if I am still human. I'm Soloman by the way." You got the minor introduction out of the way. Mr. 72 pacts was a sly sort. He was quick to retreat when he spotted Lucifer. Naturally the first born had his own opinion about the sorcerer and made sure you knew it. Grumpy mother hen. 

"Good Morning, sir." Ugh... Why did you say that? Sir? Really, what has gotten into you? Well, at least Lucifer seemed happy about it. Although he was distinctly less happy about you getting along with Solomon. Whatever. It did give you a moment to ask about Mammon. Asking about his weaknesses was too on the nose so you asked about what was most important to the greedy bastard instead. Subtle wasn't easy but it seemed not to matter. Either the demon thought you were dimwitted or this was some weird test to see if you could use the hint he gave you effectively. Lucifer had to know you were up to something that had to do with Mammon. Well, besides just gathering general info for use later.

"And you had better get to class before you are late. Come along." The glares you received for being personally escorted to class by 'most popular guy #2' were just the beginning. A different brother took you to or from each class and had the same results. The most glares were garnered when you were with Lucifer, Asmo, or Beel. Guess it was easy to see who was popular with the ladies...and well, any being with a pulse.

Thankfully the rest of the day went about as close to normal as it could. 

****

"Urgh...," you sigh heavily. _I can't sleep "_... Fuck it. Maybe you shouldn't have tried so much new food today, stupid. Insomnia it is." You sit up rubbing your tummy and reach for the phone. 1am, surely if any demon is still awake....wait. Do they sleep? Crap. Immortal things don't usually sleep. They don't usually eat either though. Eh, whatever. You hit send on a message to Levi. You count off the brothers you met in your head. Pride, greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony... Oh, right missing brother. Sloth. Could that actually be part of your problem? If the brother governing sleep and general laziness wasn't here would it really affect her? Nah, too far fetched.

What was up with that anyway? After all if he was back earthside in your place why did they say you would have all the brothers to call on? Diavolo and Lucifer had both said it. Even Mammon had said something about them all being here.  You scroll through your messages. It was a trip to have the Prince in your contacts and he seemed kinda sweet for the future King of Demons. You had told Levi about what Lucifer had said about Mammon's cash flow being frozen. Only a total noob would miss the neon sign that said 'clue here'. Not being a total noob you had already figured that the conventional meaning of 'frozen' for a credit card was too boring. If Ma-moron was so attached to the one card better to do something with it specifically to drive the point home.

There was no chance that you weren't being set up.  _ I mean, they're demons, right? _ Thousands of years of experience, powers you have barely scratched the surface of, strength and speed no human can match, and eyes and ears in place by means you can't begin to imagine. Yeah, if Lucifer had been oblivious to what you were up to then you were the next Queen of the Devildom. You slide out of bed and start to pull on the sheep sleep set you had found. Clothes always tangled you up when you slept in them. That or they would bunch up and throw something out of place in your back or shoulder. Far easier and more comfortable to go starkers at bed time.

*Ping*

So, the otaku was still up. Good. Off to the kitchen with you. Maybe some tea would help you settle down. As you close the door a chill runs down your spine.  _ '...lp.......plea....'  _ You stand stock still. Nothing. No breeze, no whispers, not even a clock ticking in the hallway. You shake it off as one too many horror marathons and head to the end of the hall.  Your room shared a wall with the kitchen but the doors were in different halls so it was easy to find. You pause as you open the door. The fridge is open and empty but you can't see anyone.You hear muffled smacks and crunches before a groan floats up from the floor. _ 'I'm not afraid of spooks, I am not afraid of spooks.'  _ A red head suddenly pops from behind the counter forcing you to suppress a shriek.

"Perfect timing! You got any food? There wasn't enough here...I'm hungry." As he stands the demon puts a hand on his stomach. The sad puppy face was just a gut punch on him. You shake your head sadly. If you had a snack stash you would have shared but that was one of those things you would have to set up later. 

"What are you doing here?" It was just Beelzebub. You catch your breath and chuckle at your own foolishness. 

"Got hungry. Midnight munchies and insomnia." You tug nervously at the hem of your shorts. They ended up being shorter than you would prefer and that gleam in his eyes made you just self conscious enough to revert to your oldest default. Cover up the vitals and don't draw more attention if you can help it.

"Too late." That easy smile was infectious. Even if you really had been hungry you didn't think you could be mad at the big guy. Well, now what? You sigh heavily and find yourself spacing out and watching Beelzebub tidy up.

"What? There something you want to ask me?" Busted. You had been thinking about 7 again. If these guys were like most brothers then these two, 6 &7, were probably the closest, especially being twins. Your mouth was open before you could stop it.

"What about your younger brother?" It was really starting to bug you. As you look up at the being before you your pulse leaps. Anger, frustration, sadness...no, more than that flashed across those strong features. Whatever had happened had ripped a hole in him. Part of you wanted to pull Beel into your arms and just cuddle him til he smiled again. The other part of you wanted to knock someone's teeth in and you would lay odds on it being Lucifer's teeth. 

"Whatever you do, don't mention him in front of Lucifer." He ended up telling you more than he intended. Something about you standing there all delicate and shiny put Beelzebub at ease. He shouldn't tell you anything. He should warn you, for your own safety, to just drop it. Your eyes had him caught, pinned him to the floor as he spoke. Why was the human so angry and sad about something that had nothing to do with them?

"Don't ask the others about him. They won't talk about him... Even though he is our brother... We have to act like he doesn't exist...It's not right." You can hear the pain, bare and exposed in that rumbling voice that some would mistake as flat. "But since no one can defy Lucifer..."

You start to move around the counter. What you would do when you got close to him you had no idea but you wanted to comfort him somehow. You were starting to wonder about Lucifer's iron grip on the others. Was it more than just being the head of the family? Given their lineage it was probably like a built in pecking order. No defiance, huh? You'd just see about that.

"...You know what, never mind. This isn't any of your business, human." You let your hand drop to the counter as he turns and leaves muttering something about a poison apple in Lucifer's desk. Great. So poison is just a seasoning to them.

Human. Again with the human thing. Like you were some kind of annoying, yappy, little animal. You should be pissed off. Mammon did it all the time and you wanted to throttle him. Uh-oh. Oh, this was bad. This was very bad...You might just be crushing on a demon.

"Psst. Hey, over here."

"God?"

"...what? No!"

"Why are you hiding over there?" Leviathan was in the shadows of the pantry. For a moment you would have sworn his eyes had glowed...nah. He stalked out of his hiding spot and slapped his hands on the counter.

"You didn't tell him you were here to meet me did you?"

"Yes, in fact I did." Oh man. Watching the weeb fall apart over 'normie contamination' and the idea that one rumor about him and the human could make him lose his rep. Lolz. Eventually he spun down and actually started digging in the recesses of the freezer. He pulled out a block of ice with a dark square buried in it. You set about making a mug of tea as the demon continues to chip at the ice. You get the mug of water out of the microwave just in time to get out of Levi's way as he rushes the block of ice towards you. 

"Watch it! Sheesh, in some kinda hurry?"

"Well, no kidding. It is after curfew. I do not want to be tossed in the freezer for a weekend. There is an event starting for Mononoke Land at midnight tomorrow."

You shake your head as Levi puts the block of ice in the microwave. Stupid move. You have just opened your mouth to say something when you hear the approach of an idiot.

"What's with all the racket you two?... Hey! Wait a minute...There in the microwave..." Those sapphire eyes did in fact glow with a golden light as they focused on the black square. "That looks like Goldie, my credit card. My baby. The one thing more important to me than life itself..." A look of horror replaces the glow of happiness on Mammon's face.

"Get it out of there before it gets demagnetized and becomes useless!!" You giggle under your breath watching the demon scramble toward the machine and nearly fall on his face. Levi's face was kinda creepy as he looked down at his fallen brother. You suppress a shudder and drink more of your tea.

"Ooh, didn't think of that. Better stop the defrost cycle, I guess." That was one evil smirk on the third born. It was kinda hot. _No, bad human. Do not think warm fuzzy thoughts about creatures that want to devour you._

"Levi, you idiot! How could you do somethin' so stupid? You are dumb as a stump, ya know that?!

"Hmm. Are you SURE you should be talking to me like that, Mammon? After all I'm the one who just found the credit card Lucifer took from you."

Mammon looked stunned for a second. Almost like someone had smacked him with a frying pan. Levi just leaned a hip against the counter and toyed with the block of ice. It seemed to be melting awfully fast. Weird. Then again demons might just run hotter than humans. 

"So, do you want me to give you your card back?"

"You BETTER... Um, I mean, yes, please. Please give it back, Leviathan, sir." You nearly snorted your tea at the 180. The loud mouth was on his friggin' knees over a piece of plastic! So Mammon could behave... If you got him by the white and curlies. This was too good a show to miss over a coughing fit so you set aside the mug and leaned your chin on your hands.

"Oh wow, how embarrassing. This was all it took for you to abandon your pride. You're even down on your knees! You're one of the seven rulers of the Devildom, Mammon. Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself?"

"Well, whatever. ... Okay. Then if you want it back I want the Seraphina figue you won." 

"The Sera...what now? What're ya talkin' about? I don't remember winnin' anything."

"I don't believe this! You forgot you even have her! How could you?!" Leviathan's jaw damn near hit the floor. From the look of him the Avatar of Envy would have happily destroyed his brother for such a sacrilege. 

"Ugh, c'mon, enough. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Just give me back my credit card." Ah, yes. The empty promise of the desperate. Your little brothers had used that tactic whenever you had confiscated some thing or other from them. 

"Alright, but there is one more condition: I want you to make a pact with this human." Leviathan waved vaguely at you. Well, at least he hadn't forgotten you were here. 

"Right, a pact, fine. I'm more than happy to do whatever you ... Wait! WHAT!? Why'd ya want me to make a pact with them for?"

So Levi starts monologuing about getting his money back. Mammon starts bickering with him and you just drink your tea. That is until Mammon turns on you.

"And you, human? What're ya thinking lettin' yourself get used by Levi like this? Are ya stupid? Go on, say something!"

You swallow your tea and gently set down the cup. You smile sweetly and reach out a hand. "Make a pact with me, Mammon, " you pur. His eyes go wide. You want to laugh at the bug eyed expression on Mammon. That would most likely be a very bad idea.

"UH-UH. NO WAY. NOT INTERESTED. I am the Great Mammon. Avatar of Greed, one of the seven lords of the Devildom. Fool! Do you actually think I'd let some human be the boss of me?" He had puffed out his chest and was looking down at you. You shrug and look over at Levi.

"Oh Luucciiffeerrr? Mammon is down here thawing out his credit card!" Levi cries out as Mammon tries to shush him

"I mean, of course I'll make a pact with you, human. I'd be thrilled to." Mammon says through a grit tooth smile. He reaches out lightning fast and grasps your wrist. There is golden sheen to his eyes as they focus on yours. 

"I, Mammon, Avatar of Greed, seal my pact with this human." You feel a burning sensation where the demon grips your wrist. "Ya better appreciate this. I'm the second strongest among the Seven Lords and now you wear my seal. This isn't for playin' with, got it?"

When he pulls his hand away you see a sigil of shining gold like a fan on the inside of your wrist. It fades slowly and you trace the spot with your finger. "Wow..."

"Yeah, wow. Now get to bed before ya get caught. Me and Goldie got to make up for lost time." He wanders off, completely enthralled with the little black square. Go figure. The moron is literally in love with wealth. You shake your head and finish your tea. _One pact down, I guess._

_"_ As fascinating as that was, I am gonna head back to my room. I'll see about getting that figure from him. Bet you he has forgotten half the stuff he has in his room anyway." You rinse out the dark green mug and set on a towel to dry. When you turn around you find yourself alone. "And so the confrontation with the other male finished, the elusive otaku retreats to his den."


	3. Two for the Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to trap a wild Leviathan. And MC gives Mammon a first. Usual spoiler warnings.   
> 
> 
> So there is a side story that happens right before marathon night. I never quite understood Mammon's fast turnaround so I asked my SO and a couple of male buddies (no I didn't make'em read it just posed a 'what if'). Side Story:O: Let's Make a Deal is the result.

By breakfast the word is out among the brothers that Mammon has been roped into a pact. Not bad for only day 3 of your stay. Asmodeus is nearly in tears from laughing at your account of the prior evening. Satan has his nose in one of his books again making a concerted effort to ignore them. That is until you described Mammon’s groveling on the floor.

"Asmodeus, keep your voice down. If Mammon hears you, he’ll get upset again, and we won’t hear the end of it.” Satan turns a page of the book next to him on the table without looking up. For a moment it actually had sounded like he cared about upsetting his older brother. 

“Eh, he won’t be awake for a while. He’s really not a morning demon, you know? And anyway, how can you NOT laugh after what’s just happened?” Asmo dabs at a tear of mirth and pulls out his D.D.D. “I mean, this is Mammon, and yet a human,” he gestures towards you with a huge smile before continuing. “Played him like a fiddle and forced him into a pact.”

“Pf...heheheh,” Satan tries to smother his laughter. You can’t help but think it is a good look on him. His normal fake smile or blank expression just seemed like he was trying too hard to hide something.

“Hey, I hear you laughing, Satan! I know you think it’s funny, too!” Asmo smirks at his brother and tosses a wink your way. You grin at both of them. Horrible brats all of them, you absolutely love it. You put down your cup of tea and reach for another biscuit. Next to you Beelzebub is working his way through a mound of...well some kind of roasted meat. Your eyes widen a bit as you watch him lift his own plate to his mouth. He wouldn’t...

“Mm, this is delicious. The meat is so tender…,” he mumbles before taking a huge bite, plate and all. You just shake your head and laugh. Wait...where did that biscuit just go? Whatever. You grab another roll and start to look for some jelly. You spot it and pull it to you. 

“Beel, calm down. You’re biting off chunks of your **plate** along with your food.” Leviathan actually looks up from his hand held to scowl. You finish with the jelly and put it back. Asmodeus has taken the opportunity to move closer to you. He props his chin on his hand and reaches out to toy with a strand of your hair.

“Anyway, I have to say I’m surprised. I never thought an average human like you would be able to make a pact with Mammon-certainly not THIS fast. I guess they really did know what they were doing when they picked you for the exchange program, huh?” 

You shrug. It had really been out of your hands. After all it had all been Leviathan’s plan. “I did what I could, that's all.” You catch Levi’s eye for a moment across the table. He turned pink when you winked at him. Asmo made this strange little hum and Satan chuckled.

“There’s no need to be humble about it. We’re not upset. Honestly, we think it is pretty funny,” said the blond.

“All I know is that I finally got Mammon to give me back my money. So, I couldn’t ask for a better outcome! **Epic win for Leviathan!** I should've rounded up a random human and done this sooner! Now I’ll be…” Levi went on for a bit. That meant you half listened so you could make the right noises at the right time. 

"You know, I find it surprising enough that they managed to make a pact with Mammon…. But what’s even more shocking is **the team-up with Levi** that helped make it happen. Don’t you think?” Asmodeus was giving his older brother some serious side eye. 

“Yep, I never thought I’d see the day that a **human** won over Levi, but here we are.” Satan picked up on the change of target and ran with it. You roll your eyes and take a bite of your food. The strawberries down here were crazy good or there was some kind of magic used on that jelly. 

“Excuse me?! Don’t go getting the wrong idea. Nobody **won me over!** ” Leviathan had started protesting, at full volume. You sigh and look down the table. Yep, the shut in was pink and trying to hide behind his fringe. He was also trying desperately to avoid your eyes. “Our interests just happened to align, that’s all! The relationship was purely **business** ! Who would want anything to do with some non-otaku **normie** of a human? I wouldn’t! I mean, I’m spoken for! I’m no cheater! M-M-My one true love is-”

“ **Cheeseburgers.** ” Beel pipes up from over your shoulder. Suspiciously close to your shoulder actually. Levi basically loses it. Guess he is serious about being in love. Wonder who it is…

“No! That’s YOUR one true love, Beel!” 

“Mmm...I get hungry just thinking about them.” 

“You know, the way things are going, the rest of us might just find ourselves in a pact with you as well if we’re not careful. If you had your choice, which one of us would you forge a pact with **next**?" He smiles at you like you hung the moon. You were fairly certain that he never let up, ever. The weight of that gaze heated something in your core. You swallow the bite you had been working on and smile back. You reach for your roll. Gone...again.

"Beel!?" It wasn’t what you intended to say, you had just caught his hand moving away from your plate. So, that’s where your food kept disappearing too. For a moment you wonder if you have made a mistake. Asmo's eyes darken and narrow at you. The look quickly passes and that charming smile is back in place, if a little cold. Possibly because you whipped around to glare at the Glutton.

“Uh-uh. No.” He shakes his head with a frown. Then something seems to occur to the ever hungry demon. With a big grin he says, “Although, if you’d make sure I always had tons and tons of food-as much as I could eat-then I’d consider it.”

“...Beel. Have you been reaching over and swipig food off of (y/n)’s plate this whole time?” Satan is frowning down at your plate. He cuffs Beel on the shoulder. You miss anything else that might be said as Asmodeus gently grips your chin and turns you to face him.

"You won’t be able to tame us as easily as you did Mammon. In fact, it’s quite **offensive** of you to think we’re as stupid as that poor excuse of a demon." Who, ironically, had just walked up behind his younger brother with a thunderous look on his face. Fast enough you barely saw it one hand lashed out towards Asmo's head.

"OW! Why’d you hit me?! I can’t believe you actually STRUCK my beautiful, **beautiful** head!! Not even **Lucifer** has ever done something like that!" Asmo is on his feet and swatting at Mammon with open hands. “Why are you always getting so VIOLENT with me, Mammon?!”

“That was for calling me a **poor excuse for a demon** , ya peabrain.” He flicked his little brother in the forehead. "Actually, I oughta hit all of ya, the way ya talk about me. Y’all think yer so great." You got back to guarding your food after it becomes apparent that the boys are gonna keep bickering. Mammon just keeps getting more and more amped up. 

“It’s not that we think we’re **so great** ,” says Satan casually. Really, baiting Mammon was too easy. This latest farce would be the talk of school in minutes.

“No, not at all,” protests Asmo. “We just think you’re a complete and utter fool.” As long as he was distracted chasing after money or puffing up his ego anyway. Otherwise he was the fastest of them and the one most used to fighting against the worst odds. 

"HEY, that’s even worse! Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.” Mammon thumps a fist on the table and glares at his younger brothers.

"Oh, I'm afraid that is one thing that is not going to change," Satan says with a horribly cold smile.

"I hate every last one of you. Never get any respect..."

He starts in on Lucifer being the one at fault. Calling him names and making up the weirdest things about the elder brother. From the dark doorway at his back you see something stir in the shadows. Twin red glows in the dark have you carefully getting to your feet and moving toward the doors. You try to catch Mammon's eye but he is too deep in at this point, calling Lucifer an old man. It was like watching a sitcom. The mighty first born looming over the unwitting moron. Mammon's shriek of terror had you laughing into your sleeve. Poor baby really did get the rough end of things, even if he brought it on his own head.

You swallow thickly as those ancient ruby eyes lock with yours. "Well done." Lucifer just...praised you for trapping his brother. It was a trip and a half to see the Avatar of Pride pleased and well, proud of you. You shrug it off and make noises about needing to get to class. You had pretty well eaten all you could without feeling sick this early anyway. Maybe you could start keeping trail mix in your bag again. "Hey, Beel. You can have the rest of my breakfast every morning if you stop stealing from my plate while I'm still eating, deal?"

The big demon beams at you and nods instead of trying to talk around the mouthful he had just started. He reaches for the plate and frowns, he hadn't taken much, but there is hardly any food on the plate. A red gloved hand snapped out to catch his wrist. The two share an intense look before looking at your retreating form. Obviously any human would eat less than a demon but this seemed wrong somehow. Lucifer tosses a black skinned apple at Mammon's head. He catches it easily enough but the look of confusion on his face makes Lucifer nod his head towards the human. You barely have your hand on the door when you hear a growl behind you and feel a rush of air. Mammon has you by the hand before you can fathom how he got so close, so quick.

"..hey, human! C'mon, time to go. Head outta the clouds. Let's go!" He pulls you out into the stairwell that is more of a picture gallery. The whole time the demon keeps up a steady stream of insults. Mostly at Lucifer but some of it is aimed at Diavolo. If you had been back home and heard someone going off like that you would have to wonder which one was his ex-lover. Then it was your turn under fire.

You were trying to keep your cool. You wanted to be patient, you are trying to be reasonable. You really don't want to be, not after the hundredth time of being called human. Enough was enough. You didn't have to take this crap from him. "Oh, just stop." 

The demon looks at you like you had just slapped him. "I want you to call me by name." 

Well, that did it. How dare you, you snack, back talk the great Mammon. Pfft. Oh, lowly human that he shall devour, tremble before...yeah. Fuck that noise. Your back has gone rigid and you are trembling with anger. You feel tears gathering at the corner of your eyes. Damn stress leaks. Of course he notices and thinks he is the cause. Well, yes, but not the way he thinks. 

He leans in with one arm braced on the wall behind you. "Am I that intimidating? Do I frighten you?" Mammon’s lips curl into a sneer, flashing sharp fangs.

Something in you snaps. You drill a finger into his chest and stare him down. You wanted him to stay put and address you properly, damn it. **"Stay."** Your wrist burns for a moment and you pull your hand back. Mammon seemed to twitch for a moment. His eyes widened and then focused on you. 

"Wha- what's going on?! What'd ya do ta me? Is this magic!? Listen up, hu..hum.." His mouth snaps shut. The demon takes a deep breath and glares at you. You know he is trying to do it again, call you human. _Just try it, you little shit. You better not call me anything insulting._ He lets out a shaky breath and spits out, "(y/n)."

He growls and twitches a bit more refusing to look at you. His anger starts to get the better of him. How dare you do this to him, THE MAMMON? He grinds his teeth before snapping at you. "Don't tell me this is all 'cause a that pact!?" 

He rants and rails for a moment. You get a twisted little kick out watching him struggle to call you something but he just turns more and more red with each thing that pops out. "(Y/n), my boss," growl, "Your majesty, (y/n)..." Gnashing teeth and more futile struggling.

You smile up at the demon. How delightful. You might not have any solid magical ability of your own but it would seem that you have enough to activate the pact bonds. You reach out a hand and pat Mammon on the head. His hair was so soft and fine, like silk thread. You would love to just comb your fingers though it for awhile, and you were getting the feeling he just might let you. You absolutely did not hear anything, certainly nothing resembling a purr. Definitely not. "We need to get to class, Mammon. C'mon."

Whispers and glares follow you all day, again. You really should be used to it by now. You are the shiny new toy after all. With a sigh you open your bag wishing you had grabbed something to eat now. Your hand brushes something round. What in the- an apple? Weird...but ok. You pull out your book on Demonic law and try to find out more about the pacts, taking a bite of the black shiny fruit. For a moment you consider how wise it is to eat a random apple amongst demons but the gnawing in your gut makes the final call. A shadow crosses the page as someone stands beside you and comments on the gossip flowing around you. 

"... Now they are all freaking out over this." A slim demon with deep green hair stands beside you but his attention is behind you. You tilt your head back. A smile refuses to be stifled as you look up at His Royal Hotness. The big red headed Prince stands behind you with Lucifer to his left. Damn, you were surrounded. 

"Come now, don't say that, Barbatos," he chuckled. Diavolo smiled down at you with a little wink. "Actually I would say all the gossip is a good thing. It means everyone will be watching this human, which makes it hard for any demon to go after their soul while no one is looking."

"Yes. Since Mammon isn't doing a very good job as a guardian. I told him he was to look after them but he is off somewhere shirking his responsibilities. Though I figured this would happen." Lucifer was never sure which orders Mammon would follow. The sight of the apple in your hands is more than he had hoped for. 

Diavolo's praise only seems to set Lucifer off again. The new demon introduces himself but you don't get much of a chance to talk as the other pair of exchange students make their appearance. Angels… actual angels. It was unreal. The tall tan one, Simeon, seemed to enjoy teasing Lucifer while the little one, Luke, was on the receiving end of the teasing from everyone. the first bell rang and everyone said their goodbyes. Lucifer had even asked you to look after Mammon, of all things. You could understand the comparison of the small angel to a Chihuahua, especially the way he wouldn't let up about how awful demons are. He seemed especially keen to warn you away from Lucifer.

Thankfully the rest of the day was quiet. The night on the other hand…sleep is elusive once again. Luke's warning not to trust any demon keeps replaying in your head. You toss and turn, tangling yourself in the sheets. Overheated and irritated, you get up and put on the sheep print sleepwear. Part of you wants to go find Lucifer and ask a few pointed questions. The other half wants to keep throwing questions at you. Like where had Mammon gotten off to? You had not seen him since you had arrived at school. Not that you were concerned about the moron or anything.

As you pace something catches your ear. No. No, it can't be that voice. You had been doing so well, despite all the stress, you had almost felt like you were on solid ground again, but there was no mistaking it. _"..el…..elp….. Someone, help me…"_

You were out the door before you could consider the ramifications of getting caught. That tug in your chest that you had felt before you arrived was back. It felt like a thread pulling you forward and up. You find a dark spiral staircase at the back of the floor and start climbing.

Your calves ache with effort but the closer you get the clearer the voice becomes. "Here...Over here!" You round the next twist, adrenaline pumping through you. Almost... almost there…

"MC." You nearly bowl straight into Mr. High and Mighty himself at the foot of the next landing. You get the expected brush off and when you dare ask why this area was off limits you get the run around. Rules are to be followed and you are not to defy the original rule breaker himself who ordered back to your room. It was just like Beel had said. Lucifer would have his way. Well, screw that. There were answers to be had at the top of those stairs. He couldn't patrol all night, right? After a few more minutes you decide that the coat should be clear and slip back out into the hall.

Abject failure. You are caught almost immediately and once again threatened with a swift end. There would be no answers until you rid yourself of the guard at the gate. You manage to get to sleep only to end up over sleeping. By the time you are dressed and downstairs the only one left is Mammon. He spends most of breakfast complaining about having to take orders from food or his brothers. You mostly tune him out. When your current train of thought pops out the demon's eyes narrow.

"The stairs leading to the Attic?" He shakes his head. "There ya go again, sticking yer nose where it don't belong." You poke and prod at him, even going so far as to call him out for being afraid of Lucifer. "Fine ya wanna know how to distract him? Easy as pie."

Not so easy, seeing as you could make a pie in your sleep. You end up using the pact against Mammon again and forcing him to help you. Leviathan has the record you need to distract Lucifer and to get it you are going to have to out nerd the shut in about his favorite series. 

A plan has begun to form in the back of your mind during classes. By the end of the day you Have made up yoor plan. First: marathon the series that Leviathan himself had suggested. Second: ask Satan for more information. You type out a message to Mammon on your D3.

:Hey, I have a plan. Come to my room tonight after dinner. Remember our deal.

You head down to the music room which also contains a number of videos in various formats. "Can't have a marathon without the movies… Now where are you…"

"Did you say movie marathon? Will there be snacks?"

You jump a mile and begin to fall backwards. A large hand supports your back and you take a deep breath. After finding your footing you frown at Beelzebub who resembles a confused puppy at the moment. How in the world did a being so large move so quietly? "Geeze! Careful there big guy, you could gimme a heart attack. Yeah, I did say a marathon. Levi… recommended this particular series so I was going to give it a shot. Mammon said he'd watch it with me til he gets bored."

You hadn't actually thought about snacks. You spot the right box set and pull it out. 12 hours?! Yeah even if they did this after dinner they would get hungry before it was over. "I think I had better run and do a little shopping. Thanks for the idea Beel. I had no idea this was going to be the director's cut. You can join in if you want but if I am going to have enough for you to snack on you have to help me get it home. Without eating any of it until the show starts. Deal?"

"Deal. When do we leave?" 

You taught Beelzebub a trick you had used back home. First you stopped at the movie theater to ask if they would discount the older popcorn that they normally would throw out. They agreed and asked you to come back in an hour when it was time for change over. You headed for the local grocery, Brimstone Corners. Like every grocery store ever there were shipping issues. You scored two flats of mixed sodas for a few Grimm. There was also a bin of nearly dated candy bars that held a few things Beel thought you should try. The amount of things you were taking back to the house was impressive. The theater had given you two giant bags of buttered, one of black hell honey kettle corn, and an almost full bag of something called lava rocks.

"Ok. Let's stash this all in my room and then we will meet back here after dinner."

"It all looks so good…" Beel was giving you the puppy eyes again. He had been trying to get you to let him taste test the popcorn or one of the candy bars. It was really hard to tell him no.

"Sorry. We had a deal. Not until we start the show, right?"

"Fine. See you after dinner."

***Many hours later***

Wow. That was epic and really bizarre. You were used to spotting patterns and damned if TSL didn't seem to parallel the brothers pretty close. It was a fun night. You even learned a few things. Mammon was a total marshmallow and might just be a closet romantic. Beel could put away unreal amounts of food. They both snore. 

You hadn't intended this to be a sleepover but here you were. The three of you were a tangle on the floor. Your head was on Beel's chest, Mammon was cuddling your leg and someone had thrown your bedspread over the top of you all. You try to slowly pull your leg from the greedy demon's grasp only for him to tighten it. "...one more... I'm good for it..."

You are trying really hard not laugh, even in sleep he tries to bargain. You might not get another chance like this so you reach out and stroke his hair. At first Mammon streches into it, happy little burbles escaping him, but when your fingers brush a certain spot he growls. Well it sounds more like part growl part purr but it is the mumbled, "No touching" that makes you giggle.

"Guys... Hey, fellas I think it's time to get up." You reach up and pat Beel's cheek. He just shakes his head and curls around you. Great...more trapped than before. "Bub, if you don't let go of me I can't make breakfast. Don't you want pancakes? I was going to make bacon and eggs too..."

Things move quickly after that. Before you know it you are down in the entrance hall with Mammon reviewing what you remember. Leviathan confronts you about your intentions and let's slip that Lucifer had told him about your little viewing party. You poke at the Otaku until he agrees to a showdown but he retreats to his room as everyone begins to leave for classes. You spend the trip wracking your brain for a way to get the upper hand. On the stairs Satan and Beelzebub fall in step with you.

Each of them offer you information to use against their brother. Contrary beasts these demon brothers. None of them want to be tricked into a pact but they are willing to trip each other up for the fun of it, it would seem. Asmodeus offers to set up the stage and find a judge. Over the next couple of days you read or watch anything related to TSL you can find. The white haired demon sticks to you like glue. He brings up food, reminds you that Lucifer will still expect you to finish your tasks, even going so far as to end up falling asleep next to you. Mammon tries to take credit for his brothers' behavior but you are pretty sure he had nothing to do with it. You decide to take Satan's advice and go talk to Simeon before the quiz. 

Still reeling from the information the angel has for you, you head for the Student Council room. All the brothers are there as well as Diavolo. Asmo introduces the head of the newspaper club, a demon with sharp eyes and a cool demeanor, before placing you at one end of a long table. You can see Levi pacing at his end. "You're going down Leviathan!" The battle begins.

After you pull out the special ammunition from Simeon all hell tries to break loose. The quiz ends in a draw and you find yourself with only minor injuries due to that klutzy streak. Mammon had been cheering from his seat the whole time but the way things ended had soured his mood. You were sitting on your bed trying not to wince as he fumbles with bandaging your wrist. Beel is watching from over the lid of a pizza box and shakes his head. The two brothers bicker and Beel points out that Mammon has been spending so much time with you that he has a toothbrush in your bathroom. When the heck did that happen? You look up and see that Mammon has gone pink and is stammering over how it is his job to look after you.

Pleased with having distracted his older brother Beel takes the chance to steal his pizza. The argument switches to pizza pilfering before the big demon goes to hunt down a drink. After a bit of grumbling Mammon goes quiet. "...Listen. The next time yer life is in danger I'm gonna be the one to save ya, got that?... So if I'm not there to do it just die,ok? I don't want no one else steppin' in and savin' ya. **It's me or no one, understand?"**

His grip on your wrist tightens and his eyes are that intense heat shimmering blue again. Did he really just… You are having a little trouble wrapping your mind around everything you've heard in the last ten minutes. Mammon had left **his** things in your room, he'd fallen asleep in your bed, and now he was giving you a 'mine and mine alone' speech you would expect from a tsundere with a crush. There was no way… Before you can get any real answer out of him your phone chimes.

"Oh...wow, Levi wants to talk. Um.." You almost want to ask Mammon to follow you, just in case Levi isn't himself yet. Then again he might just follow you anyways.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever. I-uh I'm just gonna head to bed." He stands and heads for the door. What was he thinking? Ugh. Why didn't he want to leave? He should leave. You don't need a worthless scumbag like him around. 

"Hey, wait a sec. I wanted to thank you for earlier. If it wasn't for that puddle I know you would have saved me." Before he can open the door, you jump up and grab his hand. You stand on your toes and kiss his cheek. "There. You get to be the first demon I ever kissed instead of the first to save me."

Mammon turns scarlett and starts, gently, pushing your hands away. "H-hey! What's the big idea? Don't go gettin' all touchy feely like that. I'm a DEMON, remember? Grr." He really had to get a grip. And maybe it wouldn't be all that bad if the human did want to get touchy.

"Easy, tiger. I promise to keep my grubby little human mits to myself. For now." You slip past the bemused and blushing demon and start down the hall to the planetarium.

Leviathan is pacing when you arrive and muttering to himself. He spots you at the door and starts in on how you should move faster when he calls for you. Like Henry does when the Lord of Shadows calls for his aid. "Not that we're best friends or anything. As if. You know why I called you here?"

"Not a clue, actually. I am just glad you did. I really do want to be friends."

"What?!? Did you say **friends** ? You and me...? A-ar... are you out of your mind? You do know I tried to **attack** you, right?" He goes on for a bit about how there must be something wrong with you. You just stand there and smile at him. He winds down and begins to fidget in the silence. It takes him a moment to get to the point, even if he vaguely insults you on the way there. "I'll do it. I'll make a pact with you." He holds out his arm.

"Thank you!" You clasp his forearm so that you each have a palm near the other's elbow. You feel that strange burn again and look down. This time the sigil is the color of molten amber and reminds you of a fish hook.

The demon hrmphs but looks almost pleased. It doesn't last long as his gaze turns calculating. "So what's this all about? There's something you're not telling me, isn't there? A normie human like you asking to make a pact with a demon like me? You must have an ulterior motive. "

Seems you aren't the only one who can recognize a pattern.


End file.
